All Points West Festival 2009 Line Up Announced!

The Jersey City, NJ Festival or Coachella East announced it’s line up today with ticket’s going on sale this Friday. I couldn’t put the review of last year’s festival or this year’s line up any better than http://www.stereogum.com so I didn’t…..

Last year Goldenvoice brought the last thing this country needed more of (music festivals) to the last part of the country that needed it. Most local live music lovers don’t travel across country to, say, Coachella, because they know the lineup will be playing somewhere in Manhattan or Brooklyn within weeks anyway. So the Goldenvoice promoted All Points West (aka Coachella East) had two viable routes to being successful on its own terms, as a festival worthy of infinite ferry lines to Liberty State Park in Jersey City to see a bunch of bands playing Bowery that week: make the surroundings a user-friendly playground like its sister event in Indio (they did not), or book Radiohead for two nights. One out of two is not bad. One out of two did not stop people from calling it All Points Worst.

But this year looks different.

For one, they’ve promised an enhanced beer-drinking experience. That sounds like a petty quibble, until you find yourself trapped on an island with limited access to expensive beers in limited amounts with no forewarning. For another, they’ve picked up on Coachella’s design and created an enclosed, “tent” stage to host some top flight comedy (featuring Tim & Eric, Michael Showalter, Todd Barry, Janeane Garofalo, and Eugene Mirman). Mostly dudes you can see in Park Slope, but still. Progress. And most importantly, this musical lineup is actually righteous, rather than a bad rehash of every band doing every festival this year. Check it:

Tickets are on sale Friday 4/3 at 12PM EST via ticketmaster.com. Single day tickets are $89, three-day tix will be priced at $199 for a limited time, and there is a recession-friendly layaway option. There is also a VIPpackage, but honestly after last year I would say stay far away from that. Unless they’re offering BBQ and earplug-fitting session with Kevin Shields and/or beer-spitting lessons with Karen O.

All Points Worst to All Points Best? Obviously we’ll have to see it first, but the surprise of the morning: We are actually gonna go to see it first. What a difference a year and/or a promising press release makes, right guys? Blogging. Lots more info at the official site. If you are planning to go, here is the primer we hope is outdated but you should read before making ferry plans anyway.